Jane Harman resigned from Congress February 28, 2011 to join the Woodrow Wilson Center as its first female Director, President and CEO.

Representing the aerospace center of California during nine terms in Congress, she served on all the major security committees: six years on Armed Services, eight years on Intelligence, and eight on Homeland Security. During her long public career, Harman has been recognized as a national expert at the nexus of security and public policy issues, and has received numerous awards for distinguished service.

She is a member of the Defense Policy Board, the State Department Foreign Policy Board, and the Homeland Security Advisory Committee. She also serves on the Executive Committee of the Trilateral Commission and the Advisory Board of the Munich Security Conference.

Harman is a Trustee of the Aspen Institute and the University of Southern California. She is also a member of the Presidential Debates Commission.

A product of Los Angeles public schools, Harman is a magna cum laude graduate of Smith College, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and Harvard Law School. Prior to serving in Congress, she was Staff Director of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Constitutional Rights, Deputy Cabinet Secretary to President Jimmy Carter, Special Counsel to the Department of Defense, and in private law practice.

Why did a small number of European statesmen take the world into the seminal catastrophe of the Great War? The German Chancellor Otto Bismarck had warned in 1880 that “some damned foolish thing in the Balkans” might lead to a terrible war. The shots at Sarajevo did just that a hundred years ago. What have we learned? more

"It's hard to see how the United States can pursue much longer an Iraq-only response to the increasingly regional threat of ISIL. That's exactly why Congressional action is essential: not to endorse mission creep, but to limit it," writes Jane Harman. more

Was the sudden rise of the Islamic State insurgents, to use a loaded term, an “intelligence failure?” No, it wasn't writes Jane Harman. But no quantity of intelligence can fill the vacuum of a missing strategy. more

The situation in Iraq is as complicated as it is grim. ISIS continues to surge as the US tries to contain its gains through military strikes and direct military assistance to the Kurds. Meanwhile Baghdad boils as a new Prime Minister-designate faces off against an old one who refuses to give way. What are the prospects for checking ISIS and for political reconciliation in Iraq? more

The breakdown in the 72-hour Egyptian-brokered ceasefire and the resumption of the conflict between Israel and Hamas threatens to take the Gaza crisis to a new level. What are the prospects for escalation and/or for negotiations to de-escalate the situation? Can the requirements of the parties somehow be reconciled? What is the role of the Palestinian Authority and Egypt going forward? And what is the American role?
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Women's involvement in terror is real and growing. What drives women to give their lives for violent movements that insist on their inferiority? Jane Harman writes about this growing trend and what to do to stop it. more

Since 9/11 Americans have had to reexamine their tolerance for intelligence gathering as it relates to national security, particularly in the wake of revelations by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden. The evolving relationship between security and liberty is explored by a panel of experts in this edition of REWIND. more

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While the means of combating terrorist threats may have changed, the end for preserving international security remains the same. We need strategies, not just tactics — and a necessary part of that equation is creating a durable legal structure for remote-control warfare that will secure buy-in from a global audience, writes Jane Harman in this op-ed.

"Mid-[level] to senior staffers stay on the Hill for a long time -- they are the staffers that members rely on. Maybe we can develop a professional cadre of informed bipartisan staff who will help the institution of Congress do much better policymaking. That's what the agenda is," Jane Harman said about the Wilson Center's new foreign policy fellowship program.

In this opinion piece, Wilson Center President Jane Harman argues that a FISA-like process for governing so-called "remote-control warfare" --the use of drone strikes and offensive cyberattacks--would protect individual liberties enshrined in the Constitution while confronting a supercharged threat environment.

Israel’s surprising election result gives its wing-clipped prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, an opportunity to shift to the center, to reset the U.S.-Israeli relationship, and to seek a two-state solution, writes Jane Harman.

North Korea's first successful rocket launch is a truly dangerous development. Although the North Koreans have previously detonated two nuclear devices, until now they have not demonstrated any ability to deliver them. Weaponizing a missile is hard, but Pyongyang's close ally Iran has made great advances in miniaturizing warheads. With the combination of North Korea's nuclear bombs and Iran's technology, a nuclear-tipped missile could be capable of striking the West Coast of the United States in the near future. We can no longer afford to ignore North Korea.

"The referendum on Egypt's constitution scheduled for Saturday is a sign that Egyptians of varying views are finally playing politics, not just planning protests. Washington should embrace this in its newfound role of providing guidance without interfering. In other words, it should be coach, not captain," writes Jane Harman in The Washington Post.

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As the Obama Administration seeks to fashion a policy to counter ISIS, it confronts a complex situation on the ground, particularly in Syria. Three analysts and experts discuss the military/political landscape in Syria and the challenges it poses.

The Chicago Council releases its 40th anniversary survey of Americans thoughts on foreign policy issues. An expert panel discusses the results, what it means for the future of U.S. policy, and what policymakers should learn from the public.

Why did a small number of European statesmen take the world into the seminal catastrophe of the Great War? The German Chancellor Otto Bismarck had warned in 1880 that “some damned foolish thing in the Balkans” might lead to a terrible war. The shots at Sarajevo did just that a hundred years ago. What have we learned?

The situation in Iraq is as complicated as it is grim. ISIS continues to surge as the US tries to contain its gains through military strikes and direct military assistance to the Kurds. Meanwhile Baghdad boils as a new Prime Minister-designate faces off against an old one who refuses to give way. What are the prospects for checking ISIS and for political reconciliation in Iraq?

The breakdown in the 72-hour Egyptian-brokered ceasefire and the resumption of the conflict between Israel and Hamas threatens to take the Gaza crisis to a new level. What are the prospects for escalation and/or for negotiations to de-escalate the situation? Can the requirements of the parties somehow be reconciled? What is the role of the Palestinian Authority and Egypt going forward? And what is the American role?

The recent upsurge in violence in the West Bank and Gaza have brought the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to a new and dangerous level. Is this just another periodic escalation or have we reached a tipping point that could take the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to an even darker and dangerous place? Is the Fatah-Hamas unity deal dead? Where does Egypt stand? And, against the backdrop of a failed peace effort, is there still a credible and important role for the US?

Recent events have threatened Iraq’s stability, highlighted the dangers of the Syrian civil war, and raised serious questions about how the US should respond to the current crisis. Join us by PHONE for this Ground Truth Briefing as we examine ISIS, the policies of the Maliki Government, impact of Syria on Iraq, and US options in response to these challenges.

This year, the Munich Security Conference celebrated its 50th anniversary. These fifty years of substantive dialogue on security cooperation have existed against a changing political backdrop – from the tensions of the Cold War and the brutal conflict in the Western Balkans, to the attacks of September 11, 2001, the subsequent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the global “War on Terror.” Mutual security and the transatlantic relationship are once again faced with challenges in the form of the crisis in Ukraine. What does this crisis mean for mutual security, and how will it affect the security architecture in Europe?

A panel of experts, including R. Gil Kerlikowske, Director of Drug Control Policy at the White House, discusses reforming current policies combating illegal drugs in the United States and Latin America.